The DPO Coalition has shared the key messages from their July 2024 meeting as follows:
The DPO Coalition meets with a wide range of agencies. The objective of our meetings with officials is always to get improved outcomes for disabled people. We regularly discuss the need to ensure accessibility and to uphold the rights of disabled people under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“the Disability Convention”).
This set of Key Messages covers our DPO Coalition meeting in July 2024.
Welcome to Mana Pasefika
Mana Pasefika are represented by Pati Umaga and LJ Apaipo. The DPO Coalition welcomed Pati and LJ to their first meeting. The Coalition does not often take photos however on this occasion we did. You will see a photo of the current DPO Coalition members at the end of this set of Key Messages.
Archives New Zealand | Disposal of Care Records Consultation
The Coalition held a workshop with Archivist Susan Jenkins and Principal Advisor Belinda Battley to talk about the Disposal of Care Records. This consultation is linked to the Royal Commission’s 2021 redress report recommendation that an urgent review of record disposal processes be undertaken. The Coalition was reminded that no Crown Agency can destroy records without proper authority.
There were many outcomes of the workshop and learning there is a lot yet to be done. The Coalition is more aware of what is involved and what needs to happen. There is “no one size fits all” solution with respect to retention and disposal of care records. Archives NZ is responsible for original care documents; however, it is not clear who is responsible for copies and how associated risks are addressed.
Ministry of Justice Human Rights Policy Team
The DPO Coalition welcomed the opportunity to meet with Anna Johnston and Carl Blackmun from the Ministry of Justice Human Rights Policy Team. We heard about their current work drafting the Government’s report on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Their intention to have more regular and proactive engagement with stakeholders to focus on building relationships and sharing information between government, civil society and communities on human rights issues more broadly.
There will be opportunities moving forward for the DPO Coalition to input into other conventions managed by the Ministry of Justice. This could be useful especially in between reviews by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Disability Rights Commissioner, Human Rights Commission
The Coalition met with Prudence Walker Disability Rights Commissioner and Frances Anderson Senior Human Rights Advisor. The Coalition recognises the Human Rights Commission has gone through a restructuring and is working with two Commissioners sharing the load. The Coalition learned about work happening on the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The Disability Rights Commissioner shared information about their travel to Thailand for the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture.
NZ Transport Agency | Waka Kotahi
The Coalition met with Freddie Engberts and Matt Waight. The explained about the National Ticketing Solution. Their aim is to engage with communities, diverse user groups and to do walkthroughs to support people with the transition to this new system. Existing concessions are being built into the National Ticketing Solution. The National Ticketing Solution will go live in December this year. It will be launched in Timaru followed by Christchurch early in 2025. Smaller Regional Councils will follow. Auckland and Wellington will be the last.
Research and Evaluation, Ministry of Social Development (MSD)
The Coalition had a discussion about the insights gained from MSD’s programme of research on income support and material hardship for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. The research was funded until 30 June 2024.
The person we met with has been working in an official capacity with Dr Jonathan Godfrey. Information available publicly about this research is that it is known that “disabled adults are over three times as likely to be experiencing material hardship compared to nondisabled people” and “disabled children are over twice as likely to be living in material hardship than nondisabled children”, both according to results from the 2021 Household Economic Survey results published by Stats NZ and Treasury.” Once the report is finalised the Minister will be briefed about findings. The report will be released publicly on the Ministry of Social Development’s website by the end of this year. The journal will be published in February 2025.
Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People
The Coalition met with Ben O’Meara, Deputy Chief Executive, and Kerry Morgan, Senior Advisor from Whaikaha. We discussed a range of items including:
- Whaikaha’s position on Residential Special Schools and inclusive education;
- Future meetings with the Minister for Disability Issues;
- Progressing the new Disability Action Plan;
- Updates on the Independent Review – Disability Support Services;
- Welcoming Mana Pasefika to the DPO Coalition;
- Whaikaha’s position on attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa, October 2024;
- Status update on My Home, My Choice;
- Whaikaha’s involvement with the Ministry of Justice, using the monitoring tool for National Conventions and Whaikaha’s representatives on the Governance Board and Working Group.
Ministry of Education and Tūhono Collective
The Coalition met with members of the Tūhono Collective and several officials from the Ministry of Education (the Ministry). The Ministry is committed to improving its alternative dispute resolution sensitive claims process to ensure that it better reflects the needs of its claimant’s and their whānau. The Ministry’s goal is to design and implement a sensitive claims process that puts the claimant at the centre, incorporating tikanga Māori principles to ensure each claimant receives the necessary acknowledgments, apologies, redress and holistic wellbeing supports and services. It has contracted the Tūhono Collective to help design the process. This work is separate from the work that the Crown Response Unit is undertaking on a wider redress system in response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State Care. The Coalition discussed the draft design proposal and engagement approach with the Tūhono Collective.
Voice of disabled people
The DPO Coalition is the first place that the Government goes to when wanting to engage with the voice of disabled people. We are continually looking for new member organisations to join the DPO Coalition to increase our coverage across the disability community. New members must represent disabled people who are not already represented by an existing member. If you would like to apply, please email the Secretariat at: us-dpo@groups.io
Photo of the current members of the DPO Coalition (as at July 2024)
